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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · deal · capital · degree · pit · can · ball · hand

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. capital — money
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chip — to eat
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hand — help
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a great time
  13. degree — an amount
  14. capital — a city
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. degree — from a university
  21. hand — in cards
  22. deal — to handle
  23. can — a tin
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com